A general aversion to the usual tourist hustle bustle, led us to Dirang. An hour and half of bumpy ride from Bomdila, on the way to Tawang. Often in our travels, we tend to ignore the “in betweeners” , the lesser known hamlets and towns which “seem” to provide nothing more than a night’s halt. Dirang, the town “in between” Bomdila and Tawang, sees travelers arriving late in the evening and leaving the next morning. We on the other hand were lucky enough to spend a couple of days here , taking in the charms of this Monpa heartland.
If you do manage to spend a few days here , a visit to Sangti Valley which would involve a 10.5 kilometer walk (measured on my Garmin) from Dirang Bazaar through some pristine Himalayan wonderland. An early morning start, is quintessential to the Himalayan therapy, but as usual the sun was up by the time we left the tiny shops of the Bazaar behind. The instructions were simple - “Follow the Sangti river upstream and do not get distracted”. The first part is the easy part , things get trickier with the second part of the instruction. For example, every turn or corner you could encounter something like:
If you do spot a house, it would look something like:
A stranger might stop by , offering a lift and you would probably thank him or her and continue on your quest for the charming “in betweeners”. A couple of hours later, you would know that you have arrived, the village of Sangti welcomes you with open arms.
Mani stones , open farmlands and tiny Monpa settlements , complete the Himalayan story.
Mani Stones Near Sangti Village
The memories are sprinkled with recurring smiles, puppies, the bluest of skies , the oranges :) ....
A simple rule of the Hiamlayas - expect the unexpected. One year earlier, I was negotiating with a driver in Punakha valley in Bhutan, a frantic last minute and eventually doomed attempt to visit to Probjika valley,to watch the black necked cranes.But here I was in an unknown valley , seeking out the trumpet calls of a pair of cranes, the first ones to arrive this season - gratitude!!!!.
A visit to the village monastery and we have Robin and his Merry[?] Men ...
As we sat by the riverside, our feet dipped in an undercurrent of mild proportions, children playing out their water games, the grazing cattle on the other bank , the shepherd’s hut cropping out from somewhere and the lengthening of the shadows .... we found a new meaning to the phrase - “persistence of memory”.
The Crossing (for the likes of men and sheep)
